§ Mr. Woofasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the current growth in the gross domestic product.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe most recent statistics available suggest that the gross domestic product is currently growing only very slowly and output in the second half of this year is likely to be only slightly higher than in the corresponding period of 1976. I would expect output to pick up as the measures which my right hon. Friend announced on 26th October take effect.
852W
§ Mr. Woofasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of public expenditure per head of the population in each of the past five years in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, shown separately for each year.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettThe table below gives estimates of identifiable public expenditure per head in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in each of the past five years. Identifiable public expenditure is expenditure which can be identified from official records as having been incurred in a particular country, but excluding debt interest and expenditure on defence and overseas services which is incurred on behalf of the United Kingdom as a whole. The extent to which expenditure can be identified varies between countries and different years, and the coverage of the figures may therefore vary even where similar services are being provided. In particular, the figures for 1972–73 and 1973–74 exclude finance for the British Steel Corporation. The figures have been revised since the replies to the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 25th February 1977—[Vol. 926, cols, 682–683]—and 18th March 1977—[Vol. 928, cols. 347–348]—to include later information and an improved allocation between countries of the Government's net lending and capital grants to the nationalised industries.